Who is the Huck Knife Most Suited to?

The Huck Knife is suited to anyone who wants to ride freestyle over the whole mountain but also wants to ride in the park.

The Huck Knife can lay down a decent carve too – so if you like to carve between popping off lips, ollying over rollers and buttering your way down the hill, then this might be your kind of board.

It’s an intermediate and up board so not really for beginners. You’d want to have a decent amount of mountain hours under your belt before riding this thing.

It’s also great for anyone wanting to save a few dollars – it’s a good bit cheaper than the average board in this category.

The Huck Knife in More Detail

Salomon Huck 2017 knife from the lift

O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Huck Knife is capable of.

Demo Info

Board: Salomon Huck Knife 2017, 155cm (253mm waist width)

Date: April 9th, 2016

Conditions: Icy at the start of the day, but softened up in the afternoon. Not a cloud in the sky! It was the ideal day – in terms of the weather – apart from forgetting my sunscreen!

Bindings angles: +18/-9

Powder

Not heaps of the deep stuff the day I rode, but anything that I could get a floaty feel over top of felt ok on the Huck Knife. It’s never going to be a powder hound but it can survive in it.

There’s a bit of rocker in the tip and tail of this board and that definitely helps – though it is predominantly camber. It’s centered and a true twin shape which isn’t ideal for powder.

Carving and Turning

You can definitely lay down a good carve on this thing. I rode the Huck Knife mostly in the afternoon when it was a bit softer but parts of the hill that were still hard/icy it held its edge ok in a carve. And in the slushier parts it was even better. Definitely better in medium snow than icy snow.

In terms of standard turns it’s reasonably quick from edge to edge and quite maneuverable – it’s got a stable feel underfoot. It’s not a loose board by any means. It likes tight quick turns too.

Speed

It’s not a speed demon but it’s reasonably quick.

Provided you keep the sintered base waxed this thing will definitely be fine on any flat spots.

It also has a medium flex so that makes it quicker than if it had a soft flex. It doesn’t have a directional shape but overall it’s an averagely fast board – probably about right for how you’d typically want to ride it.

Let’s Break up this text with a Video

Let’s see what some others thought of the Huck Knife

Uneven Terrain

Like a lot of things with this board, it’s decent on uneven terrain. This board doesn’t really have any major weaknesses, nor any outstanding strengths – it’s got great all round properties.

Jumps

This board has plenty of camber underfoot and that really helps to give it some good pop. So popping off jumps, rollers, lips etc is really fun on this board. The camber between the feet is subtle but the camber directly under the feet is more exaggerated and that’s what really helps with the pop on this board.

Small to large jumps in the park are great too – it’s stable on landings and that’s helped by its camber profile and that medium flex – it’s forgiving enough – but also doesn’t curl up too much on landing the medium to large jumps as a slightly softer board might.

Switch

It felt pretty much as good as you would want a board to riding the other way.

It’s got a true twin shape and a centered stance so it wasn’t surprising that switch was easy – it’s also not an overly aggressive board – despite all that camber (the camber between the feet is quite subtle – directly under the feet more pronounced) so for those that aren’t that good at riding switch yet it’s relatively forgiving – but it’s not that un-aggressive either, so it’s not the best board for riding switch but it’s still pretty good.

Jibbing

The Huck Knife isn’t a jib specialist – but it’s certainly good for the part time jibber.

Pipe

I didn’t take it into a pipe but I think it would be decent based on feel and specs.

It’s got a stiff enough flex for the pipe and it’s got a centered stance on a true twin shape – a bit more edge-hold would make it better in the pipe.

Changes from the 2018 Model

The 2017, 2018 & 2019 models of this board are all very similar.

Changes from the 2016 Model

The Huck Knife is brand new. The 2017 model is the first incarnation of this board. Though it is essentially replacing the Sabotage which is not in the Salomon line-up this year. The Huck Knife is slightly different to the Sabotage though – it’s not just a name change.

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.

FACTOR

RATING (OUT OF 5)

CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE

Switch:

4.5

18/20

Jumps:

4.0

16/20

Jibbing:

3.0

6/10

Carving:

3.5

7/10

Powder:

2.0

4/10

Speed:

3.0

6/10

Uneven Terrain:

3.5

7/10

Pipe:

3.5

7/10

TOTAL after normalizing

79.8/100

I’m not a big fan of the graphic on this board (something that doesn’t personally come into my decision making though) but otherwise it’s a solid all-mountain-freestyle deck that really is an all-rounder. You can ride freestyle anywhere, and also lay down a good carve when you want to. You can take it pretty much anywhere on the mountain too.

More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online

If you want to learn more about the Huck Knife, are ready to buy or just want to research current prices, check out the links below.

About Nate

Nate is passionate about and loves learning new things everyday about snowboarding, particularly the technical aspects of snowboarding gear. That, and becoming a better rider and just enjoying and getting the most out of life.

Comments

How can you not give a true twin board a 5/5 rating for switch riding? It makes no sense, as it is exactly the same as riding it regular. What would make it better? Exactly what features does a board that you rate 5/5 for switch have? Centered stance? Twin Shape? Twin Flex? Maybe you need to get better at switch riding, or not use arbitrary numbers…..

“It felt pretty much as good as you would want a board to riding the other way.” and also “it’s not the best board for riding switch but it’s still pretty good.”

True twin (which assumes twin flex) and a centered stance is definitely good for riding switch. Almost perfect – but I actually prefer an asymmetrical twin for switch riding. An asym twin makes riding more natural on the heel edge, whether you are riding in your natural direction or your switch direction, in my opinion. Not everyone likes asym – but this is my take on it – so it’s not just arbitrary numbers.

Also I can’t assume that everyone can ride switch perfectly so the rating also takes into account how easy it is to ride switch. If it’s an aggressive board and therefore more difficult to ride switch for those that aren’t expert at it – then it’s not going to get a full rating.

So yes, there are boards that I rate 5/5 for switch but not this particular board. If you an expert at riding switch, then it won’t be an issue for you. But this review is for everyone not just for you.

I’d say that the Huck Knife is the closest thing to the Sabotage. When I requested the Sabotage to demo last year they said they weren’t doing the Sabotage for 2017 but try the Huck Knife instead. I couldn’t say for sure without really testing them head to head on the same day – but I think they are very similar rides. Both Hybrid Camber (but mostly camber really) and both true twins with a centered stance. Both similar if not the same in terms of flex.

They’re similar but not the same. The Huck Knife is a little wider (in ratio to length) than the Sabotage and it’s got slightly less effective edge (in ratio to length) and a deeper sidecut (in ration to length). So they are a bit different but I’d say that the Huck Knife is the most similar board to the Sabotage that I know of.

Just wandering how this board (or the 2018 version if its any different) would stack up against the 2018 Burton Process Flying V or vice versa?

Ive read/watched a lot of reviews on each board and have come to the conclusion that the Burton is a little softer and a little less stable on groomers due to the larger rocker area between the feet.

I am tossing up between the two boards and am not sure which way to go. I would class myself as an intermediate boarder who likes a bit of everything. Park (still very new to the park but learning), groomers, bit of back country and who doesn’t love playing in powder.

This is how I’d compare these two boards. The first table is for the specs of the board and the second table is how I rate both boards side by side.

Huck Knife

Process Flying V

Style

All-Mountain-Freestyle

All-Mountain (but on the playful/freestyle side of all-mountain)

Flex

Medium (5/10)

Medium to Medium-soft (4.5/10)

Ability Level

Intermediate to Advanced

Beginner to Advanced

Feel

Stable

Semi-Stable

Weight

Normal

Normal

Turn Initiation

Medium-Fast

Medium-Fast

Camber Profile

Hybrid Camber

Hybrid Rocker

Shape

True Twin

True Twin but with slightly setback stance

Stance Setback

Centered

12.5mm setback

Edge-hold

Medium-snow

medium-snow but maybe not as good in harder snow than the huck-knife

Price

$429 (USD)

$499 (USD)

Base

Sintered

Sintered

FACTOR

HUCK KNIFE

PROCESS FLYING V

Powder:

2.5

3.5

Carving:

3.5

3.0

Speed:

3.5

3.0

Uneven Terrain:

3.5

4.5

Switch:

4.0

4.5

Jumps:

4.0

3.5

Jibbing:

3.0

3.5

Pipe:

3.0

2.0

I think overall that the Process Flying V would be your better bet. You’re going to loose a little when it comes to speed and carving compared to the Huck Knife and when it comes to edge-hold in harder snow, whilst neither are great, the Huck Knife would be the better there I would say.

But overall the Process Flying V is going to be better in powder (partly because of the extra rocker in the profile and partly because of the setback stance) and is also going to be better on jibs which will make them easier to learn when in the park. There’s not much in it but overall on balance, given that you like to do a bit of everything, the Flying V is, IMO, a more do-it-all kind of board.

I personally like the DOA the best out of those 3. They’re all reasonably aggressive all-mountain freestyle boards – with the Huck Knife probably being the most playful – but still on the more aggressive side compared to the average all-mountain-freestyle deck – if that makes sense. So if you’re looking for a hard charging all-mountain-freestyle deck, then these fit that category and the DOA is the best at doing that in my opinion.

I’ve classified the DOA and Outsiders as “aggressive all-mountain-freestyle” and the Huck Knife as “all-mountain-freestyle” but I was close to classifying the Huck Knife as aggressive all-mountain-freestyle – so it’s similar in that sense.

Also, the Huck Knife would be the softer flexing of the 3, but not by much – I’d say 5/10 for Huck Knife and 5.5/10 for DOA and 6/10 for Outsiders.

Also, just so you’re aware, these boards aren’t really suitable for beginners – so you’ll want to be a solid intermediate rider or up to ride these boards.

So, yeah, I’d say DOA assuming you like to charge hard but still ride freestyle and that you’re a more advanced rider. But also check out the following for more details, so you can see which might suit you the best.~ Capita DOA Review

Thanks, Nate! I’ll either pick up the doa or the huck knife. I will test them out and see which one I like better. What board size should I get, I am 6’4, 208 pounds and 12 us shoe size. I was thinking of getting the 158w for both boards. Pair it with union force bindings and 32 lashed, 32 zephyr or dc mutiny. Still can’t decide on the boot haha. Would the vans hi standard be good for the huck knife or is it too soft?

For your size I would size up to the 161W for the DOA. Huck Knife the 158W is the largest option and only option that will suit your boot size. You could try 158W on DOA as well, but I think that’s getting pretty small for your specs – but if you’ve ridden longer and shorter boards and prefer something around that 158 length, then personal preference does come into it – but generally speaking I think the 161W would be a better length for you.

Unfortunately, I think the Vans Hi-Standard would be a bit soft for either board. You’ll want something a bit more responsive. Union Force are a good option in terms of bindings though. I think the Lashed, Zephyr or Mutiny would be a better match – probably with the Mutiny being the best option, just, if they fit well, but if the Thirty Two options fit your feet better, then go with them.

Ok, just one more question. I do prefer shorter boards but the maximum rider weight for the 158w doa is 190 pounds. Can I get away with riding it or should I go for the 161w which fits into my weight range?

You could probably get away with the 158W. It will probably just feel like the board is a little softer flexing than it would if you were in the weight range. How much it changes the flex feel is hard to say, but it will feel softer than for someone who was within the weight range. If you prefer and are used to riding more in that 158 range, then that should be fine – since most boards in that 158 range don’t typically have a weight recommendation over 200lbs (with the Huck Knife being one of the exceptions of course). But those weight recommendations are guidelines rather than hard and fast rules – but yeah, if you’re used to riding that size, then you’re likely riding outside of the weight recs anyway.

Thanks for your detailed review, I’m thinking of purchasing this board very soon as I’m fining my 2016 rome agent rocker(camber) too stiff and the lacks playfulness that I’m looking for. Could you recommend a size for me ? I’m 6ft 85kg size 10UK shoe. According the chart both 155W and 158 would fit, they also do a 158W. (my current board is 158W)

I think the 158 or 158W would be the best sizes for you, depending on your binding angles. If you have something like +15/-15 (i.e. with a reasonable angle on your back foot), then you should be able to get on the 158 width-wise. But if you have a straighter back foot, then the 158W would be the better option.

The 155W is doable but that’s getting quite short for your specs. That said, it would be quite playful at that length. But I think the 158 would be a better balance for you. If you were using the Huck Knife as your playful, park board – that kind of thing, and had a longer board for other riding, then the 155W would probably then be the preference. So, if you were planning on keeping your Agent rocker, then the 155W becomes more appealing – but if this is going to be your only board, then the 158 or 158W (depending on binding angles) is going to be the better bet, IMO.

Thanks very much for your detailed reply. Although I think I want the 155mw I think your right about stepping up to the 158. I ride +12/-9 atm working towards +15/-15. My local store does not have any MW in stock but does have the 158 so I’ll take my boots and try it for size. Thanks again

One question.
I picked up the Huck Knife recently.
The Huck Knife’s features represent my riding style 100%.

I’m looking for bindings at the moment. I’m in between the Union Force, Contact Pro and the Salomon District. I’ve read somewhere that the Force might be too stiff for the board and Contact Pro would be a better fit.

Which one would you recommend out these 3? Would you say here it only comes down to what’s appealing to my eyes?
Currently they are almost the same price in my region (Central EU).

I would say that the Contact Pros are the best match. I don’t know that the Force would be miles too stiff but probably on the stiffer side. But the main reason I would go Contact Pro’s over the Force for this particular board is board feel. The Contact Pros flex much more naturally with the board (mainly because they have a mini-disc) and personally I like to have that board feel when riding this kind of board. The Contact Pro is also a good flex match – the Huck Knife is a medium flex but probably just on the softer side of medium – maybe a 4.5/10 – the Contact Pros are a 4/10.

The District would also work in terms of flex (4/10) but they don’t have as good a board feel as the Contact Pro, IMO.

The District does have a bit more in terms of ankle support compared to the Contact Pros – the contact pros have a looser more surfy feel in that sense – but they’re still quite responsive, especially for their flex – more responsive than the Districts, I would say.

In terms of shock absorption, the Contact Pros are better too – more cushy – the Force and District about the same in that respect.

Im looking to snag some end of season deals and am looking for a board that I can spend the day in the park with. Being 5’11” 180 with a size 11.5 boot, I have my Proto Type 2 for all mountain charging and park laps, but would now like something more park oriented.

I like jumps but am limited to smaller ones (40 footers) and butters are my thing, but would also like to Jib a little more. (Unsure of stiffness and stability to go with)

I have been eyeing up the:
Funslinger, Huck Knife, Ultimate Ride, Space Case, Scott Stevens Pro and the Villain.

So in addition to my Proto Type 2 (158w), in your opinion, what would be a fitting park board for my goals?

Firstly, in terms of size, since you will have it as your dedicated park board, I think it’s a good idea to size down a bit, and there’s no real downside to doing that since you have your PT2 for the rest of the mountain. So something around 154 to 156 would be a good range to look at, IMO. With 11.5s, that might narrow down your options in itself, if you do decide to go for that kind of length.

First one I would cross off would be the Ultimate Ride – it’s not a board I’ve actually ridden, but based on the specs, I would say it’s a little on the stiff side to be a dedicated park board. Probably a little aggressive too, and not something, by the looks of it, that would be easier to butter or jib. But again, that’s just based on specs. The Huck Knife would be a better Salomon option, IMO. The 155W.

The Funslinger would be a great choice for what you’re describing, IMO. Great for butters and jibs. The 154X would be a great size too and make it different enough from your Proto Type 2. The one potential downside (and maybe it could also be an upside) is that it’s kind of like a softer, shorter Proto Type Two – all though it does have a bit of a different shape as well – it’s a little narrower overall, per length.

The Scott Steven’s Pro isn’t one that I’ve ridden but I have ridden the Ultrafear (2017 model), which is very similar. This would also be a great choice and would be a great size in the 155W, IMO. The Ultrafear is a jib machine – but definitely good for butters and really fun for smaller jumps – not as good on the larger ones – but it sounds like you won’t be on them anyway.

I haven’t ridden the Villain, so I couldn’t say for sure there but I suspect not as good for butters or jibs as the Funslinger and Scott Stevens Pro.

I would be leaning towards Funslinger 154X or Scott Stevens Pro/Ultrafear 155W – actually maybe only the Ultrafear comes in the 155W.

Oh yeah, the Space Case too – I would say not as easy to butter as the Funslinger or Ultrafear and not quite as good on jibs. More of a medium flex (whereas Funslinger/Ultrafear more medium-soft). But a sick board in the park none-the-less, but something that’s best for jumps – and can tackle those big jumps really well. So for your particular situation, I’d still say Funslinger/Ultrafear/Scott Stevens Pro (if it comes in the 155W).

Hi Nate,
I am confused about buying either this board (huck twin 2018) or the Ride Burnout 2018. I found a 50€ difference (the salomon is the cheapest).
Which one would you prefer?
I have been snowboarding on a bataleon omni for years, but I am sick of its hard flex and of the 3BT…

I personally prefer the Huck Knife. But it depends on personal preference. The Burnout is pretty much traditional camber and the Huck Knife is also mostly camber but I felt I could notice the rocker sections just a little more compared to the Burnout.

The Huck Knife is definitely the softer flexing of the 2 – by my feels the Huck Knife is 5/10, whereas the Burnout more like 7/10. So, if you’re finding the Omni too stiff, then I think the Huck Knife is your better bet.

Hi Nate, thanks for the review. I was wondering if you could help me with a decision. The Huck Knife sounds like so much fun and would be a natural progression for me as I currently ride a Salomon Official. I love a board with lots of pop – however looking for something a bit more on the playfull side with a bit more butterability etc. The aggressive camber profile with rocker at the tips sounds perfect for me and I know I would have a lot of fun with this board. I would say i’m an all mountain Freeride/ freestyle rider – I’m definitely a powder hound first (who isnt!) who loves tree runs, and charging down the hill putting in big carves. But I equally enjoy hitting natural jumps, ollieing, buttering and occasionally going through the park on small/ medium jumps side hits and jibs. I need something versatile as don’t have enough money to get a quiver of boards and the snow conditions in Scotland and the European Alps can be so variable. I have found a great deal for the Huck Knife, however I am planning on going to either Canada or Japan next season and will definitely be chasing the Pow. If I got the Huck knife would I need to get a dedicated powder board as well? Or could I get by with it. I was looking at other ‘all mountain’ ‘quiver of one’ boards like the Jones Mountain Twin, but are a bit more expensivce and i’m worried that I would be disapointed with the pop and butterabilty in this board compared to the Huck Knife. Any help with this would be much appreciated. Sorry for the long winded question!

You can certainly ride it in powder. And, IMO, any board is fun in powder – it’s powder after all! But you will have to work quite hard to keep the nose afloat with this board in powder – especially deeper pow. That’s definitely it’s biggest weakness. You could set it back and that would make it a little better, but still never going to be a great board in powder, IMO. But if you’re willing to work a little harder in there, then it’s certainly doable.

First of all, thank you so much for all your reviews! They are helping me a lot with deciding what my first board will be. This might be quite a long post, so you can just read and answer the TL;DR at the bottom if you feel like it.
I am currently deciding between this Huck Knife and the Rossignol One LF as my first board. I’m just wondering if they are very alike or have some clear differences between them.

I’m an intermediate rider (around lvl 5 of this sites index) who would like to be able to learn to carve better (instead of skidded turns 24/7) and I’m also starting to learn some of the freestyle aspects (Can ride switch gently, jump ‘not too high’ and have landed my first 180 FS which was more like a 90 FS). With my new board I’m hoping to learn how to butter decently aswell. So overall, I’m primarily going down groomers but I like fooling around and hitting side jumps. Will probably rarely hit pow.

The Huck Knife has some reviews where it says you always have to be always focused or the board will punish you with its camber. This kinda scares me.

However, the Rossignol seems to have some reviews where it says it’s kind of a beginner board. I just don’t really understand how it would be a more forgiving board than the Huck Knife, since their camber/rocker profiles seem to be matching.

The Huck Knife is described as a park board on quite some reviewing sites, but is here defined as an All mountain-Freestyle board, while the Rossignol One LF is a clear All mountain board. Is this just because the Rossignol is stiffer? Does this mean I’m better off with the Huck Knife when I’m beginning to learn how to butter?

Btw: I’m 175cm-72kg or 5’9″-159lbs.

TL;DR: What are some of the differences between the Salomon Huck Knife & Rossignol One LF, specifically in ‘forgiveness’ during riding casually and being all mountain or freestyle

Firstly, the Rossi One LF isn’t what I would call a beginner board. It’s something that a high-end beginner to low intermediate could ride but it goes well beyond that.

There are a couple of things that put the One LF into the all-mountain category (by my definition). Firstly, it has a setback stance. Secondly it is somewhat directional (longer nose than tail). It’s not so directional (or tapered) that I would call it freeride, but that little bit of directional but not that directional is one of the main things I look at for an all-mountain board. But to me all-mountain means do it all – so it can’t be so directional that it can’t do freestyle as well.

The One LF is actually decent for buttering I’ve found. It’s rated 7/10 flex but by my feel it’s defnitely softer than that – more like 6/10 overall. But the tip and tail are softer than that again. It’s quite flexy tip and tail and stiffer in the middle.

Broadly you could say that the Huck Knife is in the same “category” of camber profile vs the One LF – both being what I would label “Hybrid Camber” – being camber between the feet and rocker towards tip and tail. But there are quite a range of different profiles within that broad category. The One LF has quite a bit of rocker. The rocker starts around the inserts and goes out to the contact points from there. There’s 30% rocker in the tip, 30% rocker in the tail and 40% camber which is in the middle. Also the camber isn’t that exaggerated on it. The Huck Knife on the other hand has a more exaggerated camber section (the camber is more extreme if that makes sense). And the camber stretches further towards the contact points. There are just very small rocker sections just before the contact points.

So that makes the Huck Knifes camber profile more aggressive than that on the One LF. And typically that means you’ve got to be more on your game. So, yeah, even though it’s softer the One LF overall, it’s more aggressive and more technical to ride.

If you’re looking for the easier going option, then the One LF is it. And you can definitely ride freestyle with it too. Not as freestyle oriented as the Huck Knife for sure but certainly can do the job.

Hey man, thank you so much for all this help! Appreciate it a lot. Explanation was pretty clear! Only thing that left me a bit confused is, I’m not sure I understand difference between setback and directional. Doesn’t a board with standard setback stance make it directional by default? Or is there difference between the two?

In the end I did opt for the Huck Knife ’cause I liked the looks of it a bit better (I know, probably revolting to some to let aesthetics guide your decision making) and felt confident enough to ride it.

Once again, big thanks for help. Your site has been an amazing guide in helping me pick my first gear.

A setback stance is one way that makes a board directional, but there are other things that make a board directional. The most common thing is boards that have a longer nose than tail (outside the contact points). So on a directional or directional twin board, even if you have a centered stance, there is still more distance between the front binding and the nose than there is between the back binding and the tail. The setback stance is always measured on the effective edge, not between nose and tail.

You can have other factors that make a board directional, like a directional sidecut or a directional camber profile. But the One LF is “directional twin” because it’s just the slightly longer nose that makes it directional.

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